'Critical Care' Season 2 is Coming Soon… Joo Ji-hoon: "Filming Starts Shortly, Overwhelmed by the Enormous Love" [Star Issue] [31st BIFF]

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Actor Joo Ji-hoon shared his recent status ahead of filming Season 2 of "Critical Care."

On the 9th, the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) "Actors House" was held at the Shinsaegae Department Store Culture Hall in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Actor Joo Ji-hoon attended the event and shared various stories about his life and works.

Regarding his recent activities, Joo Ji-hoon stated, "I finished filming 'Viking' about ten days ago, and I am preparing to start filming Season 2 of 'Critical Care' soon."

He said, "When working on a project in any profession, no one wants it to fail, right? I also hope that my works are loved. However, when the love received is far greater than expected, I feel completely stunned."

He noted that there are differences in how one perceives the reception of films versus dramas and series. Joo Ji-hoon explained, "With films, you can meet audiences directly and feel their enthusiastic reactions on site. With dramas or series, such direct encounters are relatively rare, so I learn about the response through news articles and conversations with people around me."

He then mentioned "Critical Care," saying, "After the work ended, I met an acquaintance whose child was about 6 or 7 years old. Hearing that the child loved 'Critical Care' so much, I finally realized that a truly large number of people had watched it."

In his other upcoming project, "Remarried Empress," he will play the role of Emperor Sobieschus of the Dongdae Empire. "Remarried Empress" is a romance fantasy epic in which the perfect empress Navie (played by Shin Min-a) is notified of a divorce by Emperor Sobieschus, who has fallen for the runaway slave Rasta (played by Lee Se-young). Instead of accepting the divorce, she demands approval to remarry Prince Heinrey of the Seowang Kingdom (played by Lee Jong-suk).

Regarding why he had not frequently appeared in the romance genre until now, Joo Ji-hoon said, "I believe that an actor is a profession where being utilized is more important than changes in one's own heart. Someone has to come looking for me. I didn't intentionally avoid romances, but as I worked on various projects, it seemed there was some distance between me and the romance genre."

He continued, "It seems that audiences and production teams also wanted to see me in a romance. Genres have trends, and with romances making a big comeback lately, it seems offers started coming my way. I did not choose this because I personally thought, 'Now is the time for me to do a romance.'"

He revealed that he initially declined the offer for "Remarried Empress" two or three times. Joo Ji-hoon stated, "I felt that my understanding of the world-building was lacking. So, I think I declined it about two or three times."

However, he said that persuasion from a trusted associate moved his heart. He stated, "A person I trust even wrote me a letter to persuade me." He added, "As a result, I became curious. I started thinking, 'Why is this work receiving so much love and why do people enjoy it?'"

He admitted that even after jumping into the project, it was not easy at first. Joo Ji-hoon recalled, "The first reading was very difficult. All the actors are of East Asian descent, but even though it is a fictional world, the characters use foreign-style names as-is, so it was not easy at first."

Nevertheless, he said that he was able to determine his acting direction through the first script reading. He explained, "During the first reading, I felt something click at some point. I thought it would actually be more comfortable to approach it like a musical or a stage play rather than with an overly realistic tone. In terms of how to approach the acting, I considered similarities with musicals and theater."

During filming in the Czech Republic, he even asked staff questions to directly find out why the work was loved. Joo Ji-hoon said, "I treated the directing team to a meal and asked them, 'What exactly is the appeal of this work?'" He laughed, adding, "Staff members of various ages gave me many explanations, but honestly, I still thought, 'What are they talking about?'"

He continued, "That means there were still points I did not fully understand." He added, "Since it is a work based on an original that has already received much love, there were parts where I had no choice but to rely on and trust the power and charm of the original."

Recently, according to Netflix, filming for Season 2 of "Critical Care" will begin in October. Ha Young, who gained recognition for her role as nurse Cheon Jang-mi in Season 1, was naturally discussed for appearing in Seasons 2 and 3 alongside main cast members such as Joo Ji-hoon and Choo Yeong-woo, but ultimately voluntarily withdrew from the project.

Consequently, Jung Ye-in, a former member of the group Lovelyz, will newly join as Cheon Jang-mi.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original